BOUND TO THE TEXAS TYCOON

Chapter Eight

Adonis POV

“What a surprise, Adonis. You didn’t tell me you were coming.” Gabriel’s voice carried a mix of warmth and happiness as he opened the front door of my city villa.

Maya and I stepped inside. The cool air from the air conditioning brushed against my skin, a welcome contrast to the heat outside. Gabriel closed the door with a soft click behind us.

“Hi, Gabriel,” Maya said, her tone light.

“I’m so glad to see you, Maya.” He leaned in and pecked her on the cheek. “It’s been too long.”

“Thanks, Gabriel.” She smiled back at him.

I barely had time to set my thoughts in order before Maya turned to me, her hand slipping into mine. “Adonis, it’s been ages since we swam together. Let’s head to the pool and cool off before we do anything else.” Her eyes sparkled with that familiar eagerness.

I hesitated. The drive from the ranch had left me drained, and the last thing I wanted was to prolong the day. “Maya, can we do that later? I’m tired. I need to rest properly first.”

She squeezed my hand, giving me that pleading look I knew too well. “You can rest later, I promise. Just thirty minutes, then we’ll come back inside. Please?”

I sighed, feeling the familiar pull. “Fine. Just go ahead. I’ll be right behind you.”

As soon as Maya headed out toward the pool area, her footsteps fading down the hall, Gabriel turned to face me fully. The easy smile he’d worn for her vanished.

“Adonis, what’s going on between you and Maya?”

I tilted my head, keeping my voice even. “What do you mean? There’s nothing going on.”

Gabriel’s expression hardened. “Am I supposed to believe that? Come on, I’m not blind. Maya clings to you like she’s your partner because you keep letting her. I’ve told you before to set some boundaries, especially now that you’re married.”

The words hit a nerve. I kept my tone low, but the edge slipped through. “Gabriel, you talk like you don’t understand the situation with Jasmine.”

“And so?” He didn’t back down. “You want to use Maya as some kind of consolation prize?”

“Shut up and watch what you say to me.” My jaw tightened.

“And you, Adonis, watch what you do.” Gabriel ran a hand through his hair, trying to steady himself. The silence stretched for a moment before he continued, his voice quieter but no less firm. “Everyone with eyes can see Maya is in love with you. Hell, she’s obsessed, and you know it. But you keep encouraging her.”

I exhaled sharply and dropped onto the couch, my hands clenching at my sides as I fought to control my temper. The leather creaked under my weight. Gabriel was right about some of it, but admitting that out loud felt like handing over too much.

After a few minutes, Gabriel broke the silence, shifting to safer ground. “What do you think about the new foreman I sent to the ranch?”

I leaned back, grateful for the change. “He’s solid. No complaints so far. His experience impressed me.”

“He’s honest and completely trustworthy,” Gabriel said, settling into the chair across from me. “The ranch is in good hands with him.”

I nodded. The ranch had become my refuge, a place where I could escape the endless demands of the company. More importantly, it was the one place where I believed Jasmine was safe.

“Any leads on Sebastian Lawrence?” I asked.

Gabriel’s expression turned serious. “Yes. There was a man who went to prison recently for deliberately hitting his friend with a car. He was released shortly afterward when the court found him not guilty. The private detective identified him as a possible match. Everything matches Sebastian’s description. I had an artist create a sketch based on the police commissioner’s description. I’m almost certain he’s Jasmine’s Sebastian.”

“He’s not Jasmine’s Sebastian,” I snapped, the words coming out harsher than I intended. “Just Sebastian.”

Gabriel didn’t flinch.

“How sure are you about this?” I tapped the envelope on the table.

“A hundred percent, Adonis.”

I picked it up, tore it open, and pulled out the sketch.

I stared at the sketch longer than I should have.

He looked older than I expected, somewhere in his early thirties, with light brown hair and sharp, strong features.

Stronger too.

For the first time, Sebastian stopped being a name and became a real man.

A real threat.

“If this is you, Sebastian, stay the hell away from my wife. If you come near her again, I will destroy you.” The thought burned hot in my chest as I balled my free hand into a fist on my lap.

Gabriel watched me carefully. “Adonis, since you’re in the city anyway, why not take this picture to Jasmine’s parents’ house? Her mother and brother could confirm it without a doubt.”

I rubbed my forehead. “I don’t want her father finding out about Sebastian. That wouldn’t be good for his health.”

Gabriel frowned. “What do you mean?”

I leaned forward, lowering my voice even though we were alone. “Jose Almonte had no idea his perfect daughter was dating Sebastian. She kept it hidden because her family would have opposed it due to his low social status. And he still doesn’t know his wife practically sold Jasmine to me in that arrangement. He believes she married me because she was in love with me. The old man is completely in the dark about what his wife and kids have been doing.”

Gabriel let out a low whistle. “That’s… something. But I still think you should go. You’ll only rest easy once you know for sure if this is his face.”

I stood up, envelope in hand. “Fine. Tell Maya I went to the company when she comes back inside.”

Gabriel nodded. I walked out, my driver already holding the door of the Lamborghini open. The engine purred to life, and we pulled away from the villa, heading toward the Almonte house. The city streets blurred past, but my mind stayed fixed on that sketch and the questions it raised.

A short while later, I stood at the front door of Jasmine’s parents’ house and pressed the doorbell. The wait felt longer than it was. Finally, the door opened, revealing Gabriella Almonte. Jasmine’s mother greeted me with a wide smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Adonis, what a surprise, my love. Come on in.”

I stepped inside without returning the warmth, my face set in a hard line. She closed the door and followed me straight to the living room. The familiar scent of polished wood and expensive air freshener filled the space, but it did nothing to ease the tension in my shoulders.

“Where’s my daughter?” she asked once we reached the living room.

“She didn’t want to come.” I kept my answers short. “Where’s Dad?”

“He’s not here. Dave took him to the hospital for his checkup.”

“It’s a pity,” I said, lowering myself onto the couch. “I would have liked to say hello. I also wanted to invite you all to the ranch this weekend.”

Gabriella’s expression shifted into something closer to distaste. “I still don’t understand why you left your billion-dollar companies in the hands of your best friend, along with your houses and hotels, just to live out there with horses. I told you before, I don’t like the countryside. We won’t be coming.”

“Suit yourself, Gabriella.” I didn’t have the energy to argue about my choices. “I came here today for another reason.”

She sat down across from me, crossing her legs. “Go on. I’m listening.”

I slid the envelope across the coffee table. “Gabriel got this sketch of Sebastian from the commissioner of police. Open it and tell me if that’s really him.”

She stared at me for a long moment, a faint smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. Then she reached for the envelope, her movements deliberate. As she pulled out the drawing, I watched her face closely. Her composed expression faltered. Something flickered in her eyes, like she was weighing the consequences of what to say next.

My patience thinned. I stood up. “Can you just confirm if it’s him or not? Stop wasting my time.”

Gabriella rose to her feet as well, meeting my gaze directly. She didn’t speak. The silence stretched between us, thick and charged, her eyes locked on mine as if daring me to push harder. Whatever she knew, whatever she was hiding, hung right there in that moment, just out of reach.